Charles Balentine

Waynesville, Charles Workman Balentine, Sr., age 92, died on Thursday, May 21, 2009 at Haywood Regional Medical Center. Born in Ware Shoals, SC, he was the twelfth of sixteen children born to John Hillry and Sarah Eula Davis Balentine. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, Charles W. Balentine, Jr. A long time resident of Haywood County, he is survived by his much loved wife of 70 years, Ella Mae Tate Balentine; two sons, Michael T. Balentine of Dillsboro, John C. Balentine and his wife, Susan of Waynesville; one daughter, Beverly B. Brown of Balsam; and a daughter-in-law, Patricia Blackwell Kennedy and her husband, Bill, of Winston-Salem; one special sister, Durcilla Gosnell, of Spartanburg, SC; eight grandchildren, Elizabeth and Curtis Balentine, and Michelle L. Norton and her husband, Sean; John, Joshua, and Charles Balentine; David Brown, and Alan Brown and his wife, Mary; and five great grandchildren. Charles had a passion for flying and owned and operated Charles Shell Service at Five Points in Hazelwood for 30 years where he befriended all of Haywood County. He was a U.S. Army veteran of WWII. He served as president of the Waynesville Lions Club, was Lieutenant and 1st Commander of the Haywood County Civil Air Patrol, was a former Fire Chief of the Hazelwood Volunteer Firemen; and was a former steward and usher as well as a member of First United Methodist Church of Waynesville. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, May 25, 2009 in the Waynesville Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with Reverend Dr. W. Lyn Sorrells and Reverend Wilson Strickhausen officiating. Interment will follow at Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 12:00 to 1:45 p.m. prior to the service. Serving as pallbearers will be his grandsons. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Waynesville Lions Club, Raymond Caldwell, Dr. Phil Medford, and Dr. George W. Brown. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, P.O. Box 838, Waynesville, NC 28786.

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